Compositions and methods of use of phorbol esters in the treatment of neoplasms

ABSTRACT

Methods and compositions containing a phorbol ester or a derivative of a phorbol ester are provided for the treatment of chronic and acute conditions. Such conditions may be caused by disease, be symptoms, treatments, or sequelae of disease. The phorbol esters described are particularly useful in the treatment of neoplastic diseases and/or managing the side effects of chemotherapeutic and radiotherapeutic treatments of neoplastic diseases.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority as a CONTINUATION of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/026,473 (now allowed), which is a CONTINUATION-IN-PART OF U.S. application Ser. No. 13/745,745, filed Jan. 18, 2013 (abandoned), which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/588,165, filed Jan. 18, 2012; and is a CONTINUATION-IN-PART OF U.S. application Ser. No. 13/794,467, filed Mar. 11, 2013 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,132,113), which is a CONTINUATION of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/595,072, filed Aug. 27, 2012 (abandoned), which is a CONTINUATION of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/023,753, filed Jan. 31, 2008 (abandoned), which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/898,810, filed Jan. 31, 2007; the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.

ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURES

Additional disclosures relating to the instant application may be found in “Compositions And Methods Of Use Of Phorbol Esters” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/023,753, filed Jan. 31, 2008, to Richard L. Chang, et al, which claims priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/898,810, filed Jan. 31, 2007, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to the use of phorbol esters. Specifically, the present invention relates to the use of phorbol esters in the treatment and prevention of neoplasms and the management of side effects from radiation and chemotherapeutic treatment of neoplasms.

BACKGROUND

Plants have historically served many medicinal purposes. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 4 billion people, 80% of the world population, presently use herbal medicine for some aspect of primary health care. (WHO Fact sheet Fact sheet No 134 December 2008) However, it can be difficult to isolate the specific compound that has the medicinal effect and to reproduce it on a commercial scale. Additionally, while active compounds may be isolated from a plant, the other parts of a plant such as the minerals, vitamins, volatile oils, glycosides, alkaloids, bioflavanoids, and other substances may also be involved in the functioning of the active ingredient or the medicinal effect for which the plant is known, making the use, purification and commercialization of plant based pharmaceutical agents a challenge.

Phorbol is a natural, plant-derived organic compound of the tigliane family of diterpenes. It was first isolated in 1934 as a hydrolysis product of croton oil derived from the seeds of Croton tiglium, a leafy shrub of the Euphorbiaceae family that is native to Southeastern Asia. Various esters of phorbol have important biological properties including the reported ability to mimic diacylglycerols and activate protein kinase C (PKC); and to modulate downstream cell signaling pathways including the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Phorbol esters are additionally thought to bind to chimaerins, the Ras activator RasGRP, and the vesicle-priming protein Munc-13 (Brose N, Rosenmund C., JCell Sci; 115:4399-411 (2002)). Some phorbol esters also induce nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB). The most notable physiological property of phorbol esters is their reported capacity to act as tumor promoters. (Blumberg, 1988; Goel, G et al., Int, Journal of Toxicology 26, 279-288 (2007)).

12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), also called phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), is a phorbol ester used in models of carcinogenesis as an inducer for differentiation and/or apoptosis in multiple cell lines and primary cells. TPA has also been reported to cause an increase in circulating white blood cells and neutrophils in patients whose bone marrow function has been depressed by chemotherapy (Han Z. T. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 95, 5363-5365 (1998)). However, due to a variety of factors, including caustic reactions when contacted with the skin and concerns for its potential toxicity, TPA has not been shown to be an effective adjuvant to chemotherapy. Indeed, as phorbol esters play a key role in activation of protein kinase C, which triggers various cellular responses resulting in inflammatory responses and tumor development (Goel et al., hit, Journal of Toxicology 26, 279-288 (2007)), phorbol esters would generally be excluded from possible treatment candidates for neoplasms including cancer.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide accounting for 7.6 million deaths (around 13% of all deaths) in 2008 (GLOBOCAN 2008 (IARC) Section of Cancer Information (Aug. 12, 2011)). Globally, 12,662,600 new cases were diagnosed in 2008. (2008 (GLOBOCAN 2008 (IARC) Section of Cancer Information (Aug. 12, 2011)). In the U.S. alone, 1,596,670 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2011 (Cancer Facts & Figures—2011, American Cancer Society (ACS), Atlanta, Ga., 2011).

Cancer treatments generally involve a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and/or radiation treatment to eradicate neoplastic cells in a patient. However, current therapeutics for neoplasms have a number of drawbacks including insufficient potency and intolerable side effects. Surgery, for example, may be contraindicated due to the health of a patient. Additionally, it may be difficult to obtain clear margins around a tumor, resulting in some neoplastic tissue being left behind and an increased chance of recurrence of the disease.

Generally, chemotherapeutics act by killing cells that divide rapidly, one of the main properties of most cancer cells. However, they also harm normal cells that divide rapidly such as cells in bone marrow, the digestive tract and hair follicles. They frequently have significant side effects including severe nausea, bone marrow depression, and immunosuppression.

Ionizing radiation works by damaging the DNA of exposed tissue. However, while targeted, it can still damage normal cells as well as neoplasms and can have side effects such as anemia, nausea and vomiting, poor appetite, weight loss, constipation, diarrhea, hair loss, and infertility.

For many patients, the toxic side effects of current therapies diminish their quality of life to such an extent they simply stop taking their medications. For others, therapeutic schedules are so complicated and inconvenient that compliance is limited. Other patients experience excellent results initially, but suffer relapses despite full compliance with therapeutic regimens. There is clearly a need for new and more effective treatments for neoplasms and to manage the side effects of current treatments for neoplasms including cancer.

SUMMARY

The present invention relates to compositions containing and methods of using phorbol esters. The compositions and methods described herein are effective in treating neoplastic conditions and in managing side effects from chemotherapeutic or radiation treatment of neoplastic conditions. Such neoplasms may be malignant or benign. In some embodiments, neoplasms may be solid or non-solid cancers. In other embodiments, the neoplasms may be relapses. In another embodiment, the neoplasms may be refractory.

Exemplary neoplasms include, but are not limited to, hematologic malignancies/bone marrow disorders, including, but not limited to, leukemia, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), chronic myeloid leukemia blast crisis, myelodysplasia, and myeloproliferative syndrome; lymphoma, including Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; subcutaneous adenocarcinoma; ovarian teratocarcinoma; liver cancer; breast cancer; bone cancer; lung cancer; pancreatic cancer; non-small cell lung cancer; and prostate cancer. Other neoplastic conditions amenable to treatment using the methods and compositions as described herein include other cancer disorders and conditions, including solid tumors of various types.

Compositions and methods herein may additionally be used treat symptoms of neoplastic disease including, but not limited to, anemia; chronic fatigue; excessive or easy bleeding, such as bleeding of the nose, gums, and under the skin; easy bruising, particularly bruising with no apparent cause; shortness of breath; petechiae; recurrent fever; swollen gums; slow healing of cuts; bone and joint discomfort; recurrent infections; weight loss; itching; night sweats; lymph node swelling; fever; abdominal pain and discomfort; disturbances in vision; coughing; loss of appetite; pain in the chest; difficulty swallowing; swelling of the face, neck and upper extremities; a need to urinate frequently, especially at night; difficulty starting urination or holding back urine; weak or interrupted flow of urine; painful or burning urination; difficulty in having an erection; painful ejaculation; blood in urine or semen; frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs; and weakness.

Successful treatment and/or remission will be determined according to conventional methods, such as determining size reduction of solid tumors, and/or histopathological studies to assess growth, stage, metastatic state or potential, presence or expression levels of histological cancer markers, decrease in symptoms etc.

Compositions and methods herein may further be used to treat or prevent the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy which are commonly used as treatments for neoplastic disease. Such side effects include, but not limited to, alopecia, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, soreness, neutropenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, dizziness, fatigue, constipation, oral ulcers, itchy skin, peeling, nerve and muscle damage, auditory changes, weight loss, diarrhea, immunosuppression, bruising, heart damage, bleeding, liver damage, kidney damage, edema, mouth and throat sores, infertility, fibrosis, epilation, moist desquamation, mucosal dryness, vertigo and encephalopathy.

In yet another embodiment, the phorbol esters and derivatives of phorbol esters as described herein may be used to modulate cell signaling pathways. Such modulation may have a variety of results, for example, in some embodiments, the use of compositions containing phorbol esters and derivatives of phorbol esters may increase white blood cell counts in mammalian subjects. In another embodiment, compositions containing phorbol esters and/or phorbol ester derivatives may alter the release of Th1 cytokines in mammalian subjects. In a further embodiment, compositions containing phorbol esters and/or phorbol ester derivatives may alter the release of interleukin 2 (IL-2) in mammalian subjects. In an additional embodiment, compositions containing phorbol esters and/or phorbol ester derivatives may alter the release of interferon in mammalian subjects. In yet another embodiment, compositions containing phorbol esters and/or phorbol ester derivatives may alter the rate of ERK phosphorylation.

The invention achieves the foregoing and satisfies additional objects and advantages by providing novel and surprisingly effective methods and compositions for modulating cell signaling pathways and/or treating diseases, symptoms of diseases or managing side effects from treatments of diseases using compositions containing a phorbol ester of Formula I, below:

wherein R₁ and R₂ may be hydrogen; hydroxyl;

wherein the alkyl group contains 1 to 15 carbon atoms;

wherein a lower alkenyl group contains between 1 to 7 carbon atoms;

and substituted derivatives thereof. R₃ may be hydrogen or

and substituted derivatives thereof. The methods and compositions of the present invention further include any pharmaceutical salts, enantiomers, isomer, polymorphs, prodrugs, hydrates and solvates of the compositions of Formula I.

In some embodiments, at least one of R₁ and R₂ are other than hydrogen and R₃ is hydrogen or

and substituted derivatives thereof. In another embodiment, either R₁ or R₂ is

the remaining R₁ or R₂ is a

wherein a lower alkyl is between 1 and 7 carbons, and R₃ is hydrogen.

The alkyl, alkenyl, phenyl and benzyl groups of the formulas herein may be unsubstituted or substituted with halogens, preferably, chlorine, fluorine or bromine; nitro; amino; and/or similar type radicals.

The invention achieves these objects and satisfies additional objects and advantages by providing novel and surprisingly effective methods and compositions for modulating cell signaling pathways and/or treating neoplasms or side effects from chemotherapeutic or radiotherapy treatments of neoplasms using an exemplary phorbol ester composition such as 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) of Formula II, below:

Useful phorbol esters of Formula I and related compounds and derivatives within the formulations and methods of the invention include, but are not limited to, other pharmaceutically acceptable active salts of said compounds, as well as active isomers, enantiomers, polymorphs, glycosylated derivatives, solvates, hydrates, and/or prodrugs of said compounds. Exemplary forms of phorbol esters for use within the compositions and methods of the invention include, but are not limited to, phorbol 13-butyrate; phorbol 12-decanoate; phorbol 13-decanoate; phorbol 12,13-diacetate; phorbol 13,20-diacetate; phorbol 12,13-dibenzoate; phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate; phorbol 12,13-didecanoate; phorbol 12,13-dihexanoate; phorbol 12,13-dipropionate; phorbol 12-myristate; phorbol 13-myristate; phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (also known as TPA or PMA); phorbol 12,13,20-triacetate; 12-deoxyphorbol 13-angelate; 12-deoxyphorbol 13-angelate 20-acetate; 12-deoxyphorbol 13-isobutyrate; 12-deoxyphorbol 13-isobutyrate-20-acetate; 12-deoxyphorbol 13-phenylacetate; 12-deoxyphorbol 13-phenylacetate 20-acetate; 12-deoxyphorbol 13-tetradecanoate; phorbol 12-tigliate 13-decanoate; 12-deoxyphorbol 13-acetate; phorbol 12-acetate; and phorbol 13-acetate.

Mammalian subjects amenable to treatment with phorbol esters of Formula I or derivative of a phorbol ester of the Formula I, particularly TPA, according to the methods of the invention include, but are not limited to, subjects suffering from neoplastic diseases including malignant neoplastic diseases such as solid and non-solid cancers. Non-solid cancers may include, hematologic malignancies/bone marrow disorders, including, but not limited to, leukemia, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), chronic myeloid leukemia blast crisis, myelodysplasia, myeloproliferative syndrome. Solid cancers may include, but are not limited to, lymphoma, including Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, subcutaneous adenocarcinoma, ovarian teratocarcinoma, lung cancer; bone cancer; breast cancer; liver cancer; pancreatic cancer; oral cancer; non-small cell lung cancer and prostate cancer.

Subjects amenable to treatment with phorbol esters of Formula I, particularly TPA, or derivatives of the phorbol esters of the Formula I including pharmaceutically acceptable salts, enantiomers, isomer, polymorphs, prodgrugs, solvates and hydrates further include those suffering from symptoms of such neoplastic diseases such as, but not limited to, anemia; chronic fatigue; excessive or easy bleeding, such as bleeding of the nose, gums, and under the skin; easy bruising, particularly bruising with no apparent cause; shortness of breath; petechiae; recurrent fever; swollen gums; slow healing of cuts; bone and joint discomfort; recurrent infections; weight loss; itching; night sweats; lymph node swelling; fever; abdominal pain and discomfort; disturbances in vision; coughing; loss of appetite; pain in the chest; difficulty swallowing; swelling of the face, neck and upper extremities; a need to urinate frequently, especially at night; difficulty starting urination or holding back urine; weak or interrupted flow of urine; painful or burning urination; difficulty in having an erection; painful ejaculation; blood in urine or semen; frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs; and weakness. In some embodiments, such cancers may be relapses or refractory.

Further mammalian subjects that are amenable to treatment with phorbol esters of Formula I, or derivative of the phorbol esters of the Formula I, particularly TPA, according to the methods of the present invention include, but are not limited to, subjects suffering from side effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy for the treatment of neoplastic diseases including malignant neoplastic diseases such as solid and non-solid cancers. Such side effects include, but are not limited to, alopecia, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, soreness, neutropenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, dizziness, fatigue, constipation, oral ulcers, itchy skin, peeling, nerve and muscle damage, auditory changes, weight loss, diarrhea, immunosuppression, bruising, heart damage, bleeding, liver damage, kidney damage, edema, mouth and throat sores, infertility, fibrosis, epilation, and moist desquamation, mucosal dryness, vertigo and encephalopathy.

These and other subjects are effectively treated prophylactically and/or therapeutically, by administering to the subject an effective amount of a phorbol ester of Formula I or derivative of a phorbol ester of Formula I sufficient to decrease and/or eliminate neoplastic cells, increase white blood cell counts, induce remission, maintain remission, prevent or reduce symptoms and conditions associated with malignancies, increase ERK phosphorylation, modulate NF-κB activity, increase Th1 cytokine activity, decrease or eliminate radiation damage, boost the immune system, decrease nausea, decrease or prevent hair loss, increase appetite, decrease soreness, increase energy levels, relieve gastrointestinal distress, decrease bruising, eliminate oral ulcers, decrease or eliminate skin damage due to radiation, increase or maintain neutrophil levels, increase or maintain platelet levels, decrease edema, and/or decrease or eliminate moist desquamation.

Therapeutically useful methods and formulations of the invention will effectively use a phorbol ester of Formula I in a variety of forms, as noted above, including any active, pharmaceutically acceptable salts of said compounds, as well as active isomers, enantiomers, polymorphs, solvates, hydrates, prodrugs, and/or combinations thereof. TPA of formula II is employed as an illustrative embodiment of the invention within the examples herein below.

Within additional aspects of the invention, combinatorial formulations and methods are provided which employ an effective amount of a phorbol ester of Formula I or derivative of a phorbol ester of Formula I in combination with one or more secondary or adjunctive active agent(s) that is/are combinatorially formulated or coordinately administered with the phorbol ester compound of Formula I to yield an effective response in the subject.

Exemplary combinatorial formulations and coordinate treatment methods in the treatment of neoplastic disease employ a phorbol ester compound of Formula I or derivative of the phorbol ester of Formula I in combination with one or more additional, neoplastic disease treating or other indicated, secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agents. The secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agents used in combination with a phorbol ester, e.g., TPA, in these embodiments may possess direct or indirect chemotherapeutic effects, alone or in combination with, e.g. TPA; may exhibit other useful adjunctive therapeutic activity in combination with a phorbol ester, e.g. TPA (such as cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, NF-κB inhibiting, apoptosis inducing, Th1 cytokine increasing activity); or may exhibit adjunctive therapeutic activity useful for treating neoplasms or associated symptoms alone or in combination with, e.g. TPA.

Useful adjunctive or secondary therapeutic agents in these combinatorial formulations and coordinate treatment methods for the treatment of neoplastic diseases include doxorubicin, vitamin D3, cytarabine, cytosine arabinoside, daunorubicin, cyclophosphamide, gemtuzumab ozogamicin, idarubicin, mercaptopurine, mitoxantrone, thioguanine, aldesleukin, asparaginase, carboplatin, etoposide phosphate, fludarabine, methotrexate, etoposide, dexamethasone, and choline magnesium trisalicylate. In addition, adjunctive or secondary therapies may be used such as, but not limited to, radiation treatment, hormone therapy and surgery.

Exemplary combinatorial formulations and coordinate treatment methods in the prevention or treatment of side effects from chemotherapy employ a phorbol ester compound of Formula I or derivative of the phorbol ester of Formula I in combination with one or more additional, chemoprotective or other indicated, secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agents. The secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agents used in combination with the phorbol ester, e.g., TPA, in these embodiments may possess direct or indirect chemoprotective effects, alone or in combination with the phorbol ester, e.g. TPA; may exhibit other useful adjunctive therapeutic activity in combination with a phorbol ester, e.g. TPA (such as anti-inflammatory, neutrophil stimulating, erythropoiesis stimulating, bone resorption inhibiting, bone strengthening, antiemetic, pain relieving); or may exhibit adjunctive therapeutic activity useful for treating or preventing side effects of chemotherapy or associated symptoms alone or in combination with a phorbol ester, e.g. TPA.

Useful adjunctive or secondary therapeutic agents in these combinatorial formulations and coordinate treatment methods for the prevention or treatment of side effects of chemotherapy in a mammalian subject include, but are not limited to, pegfilgrastim, epoeitn alfa, darbepoetin alfa, alendronate sodium, risedronate, ibandronate, G-CSF, 5-HT₃ receptor antagonists, NK₁ antagonists, olanzapine, corticosteroids, dopamine antagonists, serotonin antagonists, benzodiazepines, aprepitant, and cannabinoids.

Exemplary combinatorial formulations and coordinate treatment methods in the prevention or treatment of side effects from radiation therapy as contemplated herein employ a phorbol ester compound of Formula I or derivative of the phorbol ester of Formula I in combination with one or more additional, radiation protective or other indicated, secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agents. The secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agents used in combination with a phorbol ester e.g., TPA, in these embodiments may possess direct or indirect protection from radiation damage, alone or in combination with a phorbol ester, e.g. TPA; may exhibit other useful adjunctive therapeutic activity in combination with the phorbol ester, e.g. TPA (such as anti-swelling, cytoprotective, anti-mucositis, epithelial stimulating, anti-fibrotic, platelet stimulating); or may exhibit adjunctive therapeutic activity useful for treating or preventing side effects of radiation therapy or associated symptoms alone or in combination with, e.g. TPA.

Useful adjunctive or secondary therapeutic agents in these combinatorial formulations and coordinate treatment methods for the prevention or treatment of side effects of radiation therapy in a mammalian subject include, but are not limited to, steroids, amifostine, chlorhexidine, benzydamine, sucralfate, keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), palifermin, Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, Interleukin 11, or prostaglandins.

The forgoing and additional objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Novel methods and compositions have been identified for use in preventing and/or treating neoplastic diseases and conditions in mammalian subjects. In various embodiments, the methods and compositions are effective to prevent or treat neoplastic diseases and symptoms of such diseases as well as side effects from chemotherapeutic and radiotherapeutic treatments of such diseases. Such neoplastic diseases may or may not be malignant. In some embodiments, the neoplastic diseases may be solid or non-solid cancers. In other embodiments, the cancers may be refractory or relapses.

In additional embodiments, the methods and compositions are effective in preventing or ameliorating damage or side effects from chemotherapeutic agents. In further embodiments, the methods and compositions as described herein are effective in preventing or ameliorating damage or side effects from radiation therapy. The composition and methods as described herein may increase immune responsiveness, increase the release of Th1 cytokines, decrease and/or eliminate neoplastic cells, increase white blood cell counts, induce remission, maintain remission, prevent or reduce symptoms and conditions associated with malignancies, increase ERK phosphorylation, modulate NF-κB activity, decrease or eliminate radiation damage, boost the immune system, decrease nausea, decrease or prevent hair loss, increase appetite, decrease soreness, increase energy levels, relieve gastrointestinal distress, decrease bruising, eliminate oral ulcers, decrease or eliminate skin damage due to radiation, increase or maintain neutrophil levels, increase or maintain platelet levels, decrease edema, and/or decrease or eliminate moist desquamation.

Formulations and methods provided herein employ a phorbol ester of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I as more fully described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/023,753, filed Jan. 31, 2008, which claims priority benefit of U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/898,810, filed Jan. 31, 2007, each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference,

wherein R₁ and R₂ may be hydrogen; hydroxyl;

wherein the alkyl group contains 1 to 15 carbon atoms;

wherein a lower alkenyl group contains between 1 to 7 carbon atoms;

and substituted derivatives thereof. R₃ may be hydrogen or

In some embodiments, at least one of R₁ and R₂ are other than hydrogen and R₃ is hydrogen or

and substituted derivatives thereof. In another embodiment, either R₁ or R₂ is

the remaining R₁ or R₂ is a

wherein a lower alkyl is between 1 and 7 carbons, and R₃ is hydrogen.

The alkyl, alkenyl, phenyl and benzyl groups of the formulas herein may be unsubstituted or substituted with halogens, preferably, chlorine, fluorine or bromine; nitro; amino; and/or similar type radicals.

Such compositions and methods additionally include all active pharmaceutically acceptable compounds of this description as well as various foreseen and readily provided complexes, salts, solvates, isomers, enantiomers, polymorphs and prodrugs of the compounds of Formula I and combinations thereof as neoplastic disease treating compounds and/or as treatments for the management of side effects from chemotherapeutic or radiotherapeutic treatments for neoplasms.

Immune responsiveness increasing formulations and methods provided herein employ a phorbol ester of Formula I or related salt, solvate, isomer, enantiomer, polymorph or prodrug of a compound of Formula I, and combinations thereof as immune stimulatory compounds.

Th1 cytokine increasing formulations and methods provided herein employ a phorbol ester or derivative compound of Formula I, above, including all active pharmaceutically acceptable compounds of this description as well as various foreseen and readily provided complexes, salts, solvates, isomers, enantiomers, polymorphs and prodrugs of these compounds and combinations thereof as novel Th1 cytokine increasing agents.

Formulations and methods provided herein additionally employ a phorbol ester or derivative compound of Formula I, above, including all active pharmaceutically acceptable compounds of this description as well as various foreseen and readily provided complexes, salts, solvates, isomers, enantiomers, polymorphs and prodrugs of these compounds and combinations thereof in the treatment of neoplastic diseases.

Apoptosis inducing formulations and methods provided herein employ a phorbol of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, above, including all active pharmaceutically acceptable compounds of this description as well as various foreseen and readily provided complexes, salts, solvates, isomers, enantiomers, polymorphs and prodrugs of these compounds and combinations thereof as chemotherapeutic agents that induce apoptosis in neoplasms.

Remission inducing formulations and methods provided herein employ a phorbol of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, above, including all active pharmaceutically acceptable compounds of this description as well as various foreseen and readily provided complexes, salts, solvates, isomers, enantiomers, polymorphs and prodrugs of these compounds and combinations thereof as anti-neoplasm agents.

Formulations and methods provided herein further employ a phorbol ester of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, above, including all active pharmaceutically acceptable compounds of this description as well as various foreseen and readily provided complexes, salts, solvates, isomers, enantiomers, polymorphs and prodrugs of these compounds and combinations thereof in the prevention or treatment of side effects from chemotherapy.

Formulations and methods provided herein additionally employ a phorbol ester of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, above, including all active pharmaceutically acceptable compounds of this description as well as various foreseen and readily provided complexes, salts, solvates, isomers, enantiomers, polymorphs and prodrugs of these compounds and combinations thereof in the prevention or treatment of side effects from radiation therapy.

A broad range of mammalian subjects, including human subjects, are amenable to treatment using the formulations and methods of the invention. These subjects include, but are not limited to, individuals suffering from diseases or conditions including neoplastic diseases or side effects from chemotherapeutic or radiotherapeutic treatment of neoplastic diseases.

Mammalian subjects amenable to treatment with phorbol esters of Formula I or derivative compounds of a phorbol ester of Formula I, particularly TPA, according to the methods of the present invention additionally include, but are not limited to, mammalian subjects with neoplastic diseases including solid and non-solid cancers, including hematologic malignancies/bone marrow disorders, such as leukemia, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), chronic myeloid leukemia blast crisis, myelodysplasia, myeloproliferative syndrome; lymphoma, including Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; subcutaneous adenocarcinoma; ovarian teratocarcinoma; breast cancer; lung cancer; liver cancer; and prostate cancer. In some embodiments, such cancers may be relapses or refractory.

Within the methods and compositions of the invention, one or more phorbol ester compound(s) of Formula I or derivative compounds of a phorbol ester of Formula I as disclosed herein is/are effectively formulated or administered as an agent effective for treating neoplastic diseases. In exemplary embodiments, TPA is demonstrated for illustrative purposes to be an effective agent in pharmaceutical formulations and therapeutic methods, alone or in combination with one or more adjunctive therapeutic agent(s). The present disclosure further provides additional, pharmaceutically acceptable phorbol ester compounds in the form of a native or synthetic compound, including complexes, derivatives, salts, solvates, isomers, enantiomers, polymorphs, and prodrugs of the compounds disclosed herein, and combinations thereof, which are effective as therapeutic agents within the methods and compositions of the invention in the treatment of neoplastic diseases and symptoms of such diseases.

Neoplastic disease is any growth or tumor caused by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division; it may spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system or the blood stream. Such growths may be malignant or benign, solid or non-solid.

In some embodiments, the neoplastic diseases amenable to treatment or prevention by the compositions and methods as described herein may be a hematological neoplasm/bone marrow disorder such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AML (also called acute myelogenous leukemia, acute myeloblastic leukemia, acute granulocytic leukemia, and acute nonlymphocytic leukemia) is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults. In AML, stem cells produced by the bone marrow usually develop into a type of immature white blood cell called myeloblasts (or myeloid blasts). In individuals suffering from AML, these myeloblasts do not mature into healthy white blood cells. Additionally, stem cells in individuals with AML may develop into abnormal red blood cells or platelets. The lack of normal blood cells increases incidences of infection, anemia, and easy bleeding. Additionally, the leukemia cells can spread outside the blood to other parts of the body, including the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), skin, and gums.

The average age of a patient with AML is over 64 years of age. Remission rates are inversely related to age with patients over the age of 70 treated for AML with standard chemotherapeutics having a remission rate of less than 26%. Additionally, patients who develop AML after an antecedent hematologic disorder or prior leukemogenic chemotherapy/radiation therapy have similarly poor outcomes.

In other embodiments, the neoplasm treated by the compositions and methods as described herein may include, but are not limited to, breast cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, bone cancer, pancreatic cancer, non small cell lung cancer, oral cancer as well as forms of lymphoma.

Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an anti-neoplastic drug or combination of such drugs. Chemotherapy works by impairing the reproduction of rapidly splitting cells, a property common in cancerous cells. However it does not actively distinguish between healthy cells that are also rapidly splitting and cancerous cells and it has a number of side effects such as, but not limited to, alopecia, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, soreness, neutropenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, dizziness, fatigue, constipation, oral ulcers, itchy skin, peeling, nerve and muscle leprosy, auditory changes, problems with blood, weight loss, diarrhea, immunosuppression, bruising, tendency to bleed easily, heart damage, liver damage, kidney damage, vertigo and encephalopathy.

Mammalian subjects amenable to treatment with phorbol esters of Formula I, particularly TPA, according to the methods of the present invention additionally include, but are not limited to, mammalian subjects undergoing chemotherapy.

Within the methods and compositions of the invention, one or more phorbol ester compound(s) of Formula I or derivative compounds of a phorbol ester of Formula I as disclosed herein is/are effectively formulated or administered as an agent effective for preventing or treating side effects due to chemotherapy. In exemplary embodiments, TPA is demonstrated for illustrative purposes to be an effective agent in pharmaceutical formulations and therapeutic methods, alone or in combination with one or more adjunctive therapeutic agent(s). The present disclosure further provides additional, pharmaceutically acceptable phorbol ester compounds in the form of a native or synthetic compound, including complexes, derivatives, salts, solvates, isomers, enantiomers, polymorphs, and prodrugs of the compounds disclosed herein, and combinations thereof, which are effective as therapeutic agents within the methods and compositions of the invention in the prevention or treatment of side effects due to chemotherapy.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells. It may be applied externally, internally, or systemically. It can cause acute or chronic side effects. Acute side effects occur during treatment, and chronic side effects occur months or even years after treatment ends. The side effects that develop depend on the area of the body being treated, the dose given per day, the total dose given, the patient's general medical condition, and other treatments given at the same time. (National Cancer Institute, 2011). Common side effects of radiation therapy are moist desquamation, soreness, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, appetite loss, constipation, itchy skin, peeling, mouth and throat sores, edema, infertility, fibrosis, epilation, and mucosal dryness.

Mammalian subjects amenable to treatment with phorbol esters of Formula I, particularly TPA, according to the methods of the present invention additionally include, but are not limited to, mammalian subjects undergoing radiation therapy.

Within the methods and compositions of the invention, one or more phorbol ester compound(s) of Formula I or derivative compounds of a phorbol ester of Formula I as disclosed herein is/are effectively formulated or administered as an agent effective for preventing or treating side effects due to radiation therapy. In exemplary embodiments, TPA is demonstrated for illustrative purposes to be an effective agent in pharmaceutical formulations and therapeutic methods, alone or in combination with one or more adjunctive therapeutic agent(s). The present disclosure further provides additional, pharmaceutically acceptable phorbol ester compounds in the form of a native or synthetic compound, including complexes, derivatives, salts, solvates, isomers, enantiomers, polymorphs, and prodrugs of the compounds disclosed herein, and combinations thereof, which are effective as therapeutic agents within the methods and compositions of the invention in the prevention or treatment of side effects due to radiation therapy.

Phorbol is a natural, plant-derived polycyclic alcohol of the tigliane family of diterpenes. It was first isolated in 1934 as the hydrolysis product of croton oil derived from the seeds of Croton tiglium. It is well soluble in most polar organic solvents and in water. Esters of phorbol have the general structure of Formula I, below:

wherein R₁ and R₂ are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen; hydroxyl;

wherein the alkyl group contains 1 to 15 carbon atoms;

wherein a lower alkenyl group contains between 1 to 7 carbon atoms;

and substituted derivatives thereof and R₃ may be hydrogen,

or substituted derivatives thereof as well as pharmaceutically acceptable salts, enantiomers, polymorphs, prodrugs solvates and hydrates of compounds of Formula I and substituted derivatives thereof.

The term “lower alkyl” or “lower alkenyl” as used herein means moieties containing 1 to 7 carbon atoms. In the compounds of the Formula I, the alkyl or alkenyl groups may be straight or branched chain. In some embodiments, either or both R₁ or R₂, are a long chain carbon moiety (i.e., Formula I is decanoate or myristate).

The alkyl, alkenyl, phenyl and benzyl groups of the formulas herein may be unsubstituted or substituted with halogens, preferably, chlorine, fluorine or bromine; nitro; amino and similar type radicals.

Organic and synthetic forms of phorbol esters, including any preparations or extracts from herbal sources such as croton tiglium, are contemplated as useful compositions comprising phorbol esters (or phorbol ester analogs, related compounds and/or derivatives) for use within the embodiments herein. Useful phorbol esters and/or related compounds for use within the embodiments herein will typically have a structure as illustrated in Formula I, although functionally equivalent analogs, complexes, conjugates, and derivatives of such compounds will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art as within the scope of the invention.

In more detailed embodiments, illustrative structural modifications according to Formula I above will be selected to provide useful candidate compounds for treating and/or preventing neoplastic diseases and/or managing or preventing side effects in individuals undergoing chemotherapeutic or radiotherapeutic treatments, wherein: at least one of R₁ and R₂ are other than hydrogen and R₃ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen or

and substituted derivatives thereof. In another embodiment, either R₁ or R₂ is

the remaining R₁ or R₂ is

and R₃ is hydrogen.

An exemplary embodiment of a phorbol ester compound of Formula I useful in the treatment of neoplastic diseases, particularly AML, or the management of side effects from the treatment of neoplastic diseases is found in phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (also known as PMA or 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA)) shown in Formula II, below.

Additional useful phorbol esters and related compounds and derivatives within the formulations and methods of the invention include, but are not limited to, other pharmaceutically acceptable active salts of said compounds, as well as active isomers, enantiomers, polymorphs, glycosylated derivatives, solvates, hydrates, and/or prodrugs of said compounds. Derivatives of phorbol esters of Formula I may or may not be phorbol esters themselves. Further exemplary forms of phorbol esters for use within the compositions and methods of the invention include, but are not limited to, phorbol 13-butyrate; phorbol 12-decanoate; phorbol 13-decanoate; phorbol 12,13-diacetate; phorbol 13,20-diacetate; phorbol 12,13-dibenzoate; phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate; phorbol 12,13-didecanoate; phorbol 12,13-dihexanoate; phorbol 12,13-dipropionate; phorbol 12-myristate; phorbol 13-myristate; phorbol 12,13,20-triacetate; 12-deoxyphorbol 13-angelate; 12-deoxyphorbol 13-angelate 20-acetate; 12-deoxyphorbol 13-isobutyrate; 12-deoxyphorbol 13-isobutyrate-20-acetate; 12-deoxyphorbol 13-phenylacetate; 12-deoxyphorbol 13-phenylacetate 20-acetate; 12-deoxyphorbol 13-tetradecanoate; phorbol 12-tigliate 13-decanoate; 12-deoxyphorbol 13-acetate; phorbol 12-acetate; and phorbol 13-acetate as shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Exemplary Phorbol Esters Phorbol 13-Butyrate

Phorbol 12- Decanoate

Phorbol 13- Decanoate

Phorbol 12,13- Diacetate

Phorbol 13,20- Diacetate

Phorbol 12,13- Dibenzoate

Phorbol 12,13- Dibutyrate

Phorbol 12,13- Didecanoate

Phorbol 12,13- Dihexanoate

Phorbol 12,13- Dipropionate

Phorbol 12-Myristate

Phorbol 13-Myristate

Phorbol 12- Myristate-13-Acetate (also known as TPA or PMA)

Phorbol 12,13,20- Triacetate

12-Deoxyphorbol 13-Angelate

12-Deoxyphorbol 13-Angelate 20- Acetate

12-Deoxyphorbol 13-Isobutyrate

12-Deoxyphorbol 13-Isobutyrate-20- Acetate

12-Deoxyphorbol 13-Phenylacetate

12-Deoxyphorbol 13-Phenylacetate 20- Acetate

12-Deoxyphorbol 13-Tetradecanoate

Phorbol 12-Tigliate 13-Decanoate

12-Deoxyphorbol 13-Acetate

Phorbol 12-Acetate

Phorbol 13-Acetate

Phorbol ester compositions and derivative compositions herein additionally may comprise chemotherapeutic compositions comprising an anti-neoplastic effective amount of a phorbol ester of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, which is effective for maintenance and treatment of malignancies or symptoms caused by cancer in a mammalian subject. A “chemotherapeutic”, “anti-tumor,” “cancer treating”, “apoptosis inducing”, “remission inducing”, “remission maintaining” effective amount of the active compound is therapeutically effective, in a single or multiple unit dosage form, over a specified period of therapeutic intervention, to measurably alleviate one or more symptoms of malignancy in a subject, and/or to alleviate one or more symptom(s) or condition(s) associated with malignancy in the subject. Within exemplary embodiments, the compositions of the invention are effective in treatment methods to alleviate symptoms of neoplastic disease related conditions in human and other mammalian subjects vulnerable to malignancies.

Compositions as described herein comprise chemoprotective compositions comprising an effective amount of a phorbol ester compound of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I including pharmaceutically acceptable salts, enantiomers, isomers, polymorphs, prodrugs, hydrates and solvates thereof to prevent or alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy. A “chemoprotective,” “anti-inflammatory,” “neutrophil stimulating,” “erythropoiesis stimulating,” “bone resorbtion inhibiting,” “bone strengthening,” “antiemetic,” “pain relieving” effective amount of the active compound is therapeutically effective, in a single or multiple unit dosage form, over a specified period of therapeutic intervention, to measurably alleviate one or more of the side effects of chemotherapy in a subject. Within exemplary embodiments, the compositions of the invention are effective in treatment methods to alleviate side effects of chemotherapy in human and other mammalian subjects undergoing chemotherapy.

Compositions as described herein comprise radiation therapy protective compositions comprising an effective amount of a phorbol ester compound of Formula I or derivative compound of phorbol esters of Formula I including pharmaceutically acceptable salts, enantiomers, isomers, polymorphs, prodrugs, hydrates and solvates thereof to prevent or alleviate the side effects of radiation therapy. A “radiation protective,” “radioprotective,” “anti-swelling,” “cytoprotective,” “anti-mucositis,” “epithelial stimulating,” “anti-fibrotic,” “platelet stimulating” effective amount of the active compound is therapeutically effective, in single or multiple unit dosage form, over a specified period of therapeutic intervention, to measurably alleviate one or more of the side effects of chemotherapy in a subject. Within exemplary embodiments, the compositions of the invention are effective in treatment methods to alleviate side effects of radiation therapy in human and other mammalian subjects undergoing radiation therapy.

Phorbol ester treating, including chemotherapeutic, chemoprotectant, radioprotectant, Th1 cytokine increasing, ERK phosphorylation inducing, anti-tumor, cancer treating, remission inducing, remission maintaining, apoptosis inducing, NFκB modulating compositions of the invention typically comprise an effective amount or unit dosage of a phorbol ester compound of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, which may be formulated with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, excipients, vehicles, emulsifiers, stabilizers, preservatives, buffers, and/or other additives that may enhance stability, delivery, absorption, half-life, efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and/or pharmacodynamics, reduce adverse side effects, or provide other advantages for pharmaceutical use. Effective amounts of a phorbol ester compound or related or derivative compound of Formula I (e.g., a unit dose comprising an effective concentration/amount of TPA, or of a selected pharmaceutically acceptable salt, isomer, enantiomer, solvate, polymorph and/or prodrug of TPA) will be readily determined by those of ordinary skill in the art, depending on clinical and patient-specific factors. Suitable effective unit dosage amounts of the active compounds for administration to mammalian subjects, including humans, may range from about 10 to about 1500 μg, about 20 to about 1000 μg, about 25 to about 750 μg, about 50 to about 500 μg, about 150 to about 500 μg, about 125 μg to about 500 μg, about 180 to about 500 μg, about 190 to about 500 μg, about 220 to about 500 μg, about 240 to about 500 μg, about 260 to about 500 μg, about 290 to about 500 μg. In certain embodiments, the disease treating effective dosage of a phorbol ester compound or related or derivative compound of Formula I may be selected within narrower ranges of, for example, 10 to 25 μg, 30-50 μg, 75 to 100 μg, 100 to 300 μg, or 150 to 500 μg. These and other effective unit dosage amounts may be administered in a single dose, or in the form of multiple daily, weekly or monthly doses, for example in a dosing regimen comprising from 1 to 5, or 2 to 3, doses administered per day, per week, or per month. In one exemplary embodiment, dosages of 10 to 30 μg, 30 to 50 μg, 50 to 100 μg, 100 to 300 μg, or 300 to 500 μg, are administered one, two, three, four, or five times per day. In more detailed embodiments, dosages of 50-100 μg, 100-300 μg, 300-400 μg, or 400-600 μg are administered once or twice daily. In a further embodiment, dosages of 50-100 μg, 100-300 μg, 300-400 μg, or 400-600 μg are administered every other day. In alternate embodiments, dosages are calculated based on body weight, and may be administered, for example, in amounts from about 0.5 μg/m² to about 300 μg/m² per day, about 1 μg/m² to about 200 μg/m², about 1 μg/m² to about 187.5 μg/m² per day, about 1 μg/m² per day to about 175 μg/m² per day, about 1 μg/m² per day to about 157 μg/m² per day about 1 μg/m² to about 125 μg/m² per day, about 1 μg/m² to about 75 μg/m² per day, 1 μg/m² to about 50/μg/m² per day, 2 μg/m² to about 50 μg/m² per day, 2 μg/m² to about 30 μg/m² per day or 3 μg/m² to about 30 μg/m² per day.

In other embodiments, dosages may be administered less frequently, for example, 0.5 μg/m² to about 300 μg/m² every other day, about 1 μg/m² to about 200 μg/m², about 1 μg/m² to about 187.5 μg/m² every other day, about 1 μg/m² to about 175 μg/m² every other day, about 1 μg/m² per day to about 157 μg/m² every other day about 1 μg/m² to about 125 μg/m² every other day, about 1 μg/m² to about 75 μg/m² every other day, 1 μg/m² to about 50 μg/m² every other day, 2 μg/m² to about 50 μg/m² every other day, 2 μg/m² to about 30 μg/m² per day or 3 μg/m² to about 30 μg/m² per day. In additional embodiments, dosages may be administered 3 times/week, 4 times/week, 5 times/week, only on weekdays, only in concert with other treatment regimens, on consecutive days, or in any appropriate dosage regimen depending on clinical and patient-specific factors.

The amount, timing and mode of delivery of compositions of the invention comprising a neoplastic disease treating effective amount of a phorbol ester compound of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, (Th1 cytokine increasing, ERK phosphorylation inducing, NFκB modulating, chemotherapeutic, anti-tumor, cancer treating, remission inducing, remission maintaining, apoptosis inducing effective amount) or chemoprotective or radioprotective effective amount of a phorbol ester of Formula I will be routinely adjusted on an individual basis, depending on such factors as weight, age, gender, and condition of the individual, the acuteness of the cytopathic disease and/or related symptoms, whether the administration is prophylactic or therapeutic, and on the basis of other factors known to effect drug delivery, absorption, pharmacokinetics, including half-life, and efficacy.

An effective dose or multi-dose treatment regimen for the instant disease treating (alternatively, “Th1 cytokine increasing”, “ERK phosphorylation inducing”, ‘NFκB modulating,” “chemotherapeutic”, “anti-tumor”, “cancer treating”, “apoptosis inducing”, “remission inducing”, “remission maintaining”, “chemoprotective,” “anti-inflammatory,” “neutrophil stimulating,” “erythropoiesis stimulating,” “bone resorbtion inhibiting,” “bone strengthening,” “antiemetic,” “pain relieving,” “radiation protective,” “anti-swelling,” “cytoprotective,” “anti-mucositis,” “epithelial stimulating,” “anti-fibrotic,” “platelet stimulating,”) formulations of the invention will ordinarily be selected to approximate a minimal dosing regimen that is necessary and sufficient to substantially prevent or alleviate the symptoms of the disease including cancer, in the subject, and/or to substantially prevent or alleviate one or more symptoms associated with neoplastic diseases such as cancer, or substantially prevent or alleviate one or more of the side effects of chemotherapy treatment or radiation treatment in the subject. A dosage and administration protocol will often include repeated dosing therapy over a course of several days or even one or more weeks or years. An effective treatment regime may also involve prophylactic dosage administered on a day or multi-dose per day basis lasting over the course of days, weeks, months or even years.

Various assays and model systems can be readily employed to determine the therapeutic effectiveness of the treatment of cytopathic diseases. For example, effectiveness may be demonstrated using a complete blood count (CBC). The measurements taken in a CBC include a white blood cell count (WBC), a red blood cell count (RBC), the red cell distribution width, the hematocrit, and the amount of hemoglobin. Some signs of cancer, or responses to chemotherapy or radiation therapy which are visible in a CBC include a low hematocrit, a sharp decrease in the number of blood platelets, and a low level of neutrophils. An effective amount of a composition of the present invention will increase the levels measured in a complete blood count by 10%, 20%, 30%, 50% or greater increase, up to a 75-90%, or 95% or greater. Effective amounts will also move the blood protein of an individual towards the optimal category for each type of protein.

Effectiveness in the treatment of neoplastic diseases may also be determined by a number of methods such as, but not limited to, ECOG Performance Scale, the Karnofsky Performance Scale, microscopic examination of blood cells, bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, cytogenetic analysis, biopsy, immunophenotyping, blood chemistry studies, a complete blood count, lymph node biopsy, peripheral blood smear, visual analysis of a tumor or lesion, or any other method of evaluating and/or diagnosing malignancies and tumor progression known to those of skill in the art.

For example, effectiveness of the compositions and methods herein in the treatment of hematologic malignancies/bone marrow disorders may be evaluated using, an absolute neutrophil count (ANC). A normal ANC is between 1,500 to 8,000/mm³. Individuals suffering from hematologic malignancies/bone marrow disorders frequently have an ANC below 1500/mm³, and may even reach levels below 500/mm³. Effective amounts of the compositions and methods herein will increase an individual's ANC by 10%, 20%, 30%, 50% or greater increase, up to a 75-90%, or 95% or greater. Effective amounts may increase ANC levels above 1500/mm³.

Effectiveness of the compositions and methods herein in the treatment of hematologic malignancies/bone marrow disorders may further be evaluated using, for example, a platelet count. A platelet count is normally between 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter (×10⁻⁶/Liter). Individuals suffering from hematologic malignancies/bone marrow disorder may have platelet counts below 100,000 per microliter. Effective amounts of the compositions and methods herein will increase an individual's platelet count by 10%, 20%, 30%, 50% or greater increase, up to a 75-90%, or 95% or greater. Effective amounts may increase platelet levels above 100,000 per microliter.

Effectiveness of the compositions and methods herein in the treatment of hematologic malignancies/bone marrow disorders may additionally be evaluated, for example, by measuring the number of myeloblasts. Myeloblasts normally represent less than 5% of the cells in the bone marrow but should not be present in circulating blood. Effective amounts of the compositions and methods herein will decrease the number of myeloblasts by 10%, 20%, 30%, 50% or more, up to a 75-90%, 96% or greater decrease. Effective amounts may decrease myeloblasts to below 5% of the cells in the bone marrow.

Effectiveness of the compositions and methods herein in the treatment of hematologic malignancies/bone marrow disorders may further be evaluated by examining myeloblasts for the presence of Auer rods. Effective amounts of the compositions of the present invention will decrease the number of Auer rods visible by 10%, 20%, 30%, 50% or more, up to a 75-90%, 96% or greater decrease up to the complete elimination of Auer rods.

Effectiveness of the compositions and methods herein in the treatment of neoplasms may be evaluated by screening for markers in the blood such as CA 15.3, TRU-QUANT, CA 27.29, CA125, CYFRA 21-1, ProGRP, CA19-9, CA242, CAM 17.1, tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TPS), serum macrophage inhibitory cytokine 1 (MIC-1, osteopontin, glypican-3 (GPC-3), des-γ-carboxy-prothrombin (DCP), α-Fetoprotein (AFP), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase type 1 (TIMP-1). squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA), CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen), or circulating tumor cells. Effective amounts of the compositions of the present invention will decrease the amount of the markers present by 10%, 20%, 30%, 50% or more, up to a 75-90%, 96% or greater decrease up to the complete elimination of markers in the blood.

Effectiveness of the compositions and methods of the invention may also be demonstrated by a decrease in the symptoms of subjects suffering from neoplastic disease including, but not limited to, anemia; chronic fatigue; excessive or easy bleeding, such as bleeding of the nose, gums, and under the skin; easy bruising, particularly bruising with no apparent cause; shortness of breath; petechiae; recurrent fever; swollen gums; slow healing of cuts; bone and joint discomfort; recurrent infections; weight loss; itching; night sweats; lymph node swelling; fever; abdominal pain and discomfort; disturbances in vision; coughing; loss of appetite; pain in the chest; difficulty swallowing; swelling of the face, neck and upper extremities; a need to urinate frequently, especially at night; difficulty starting urination or holding back urine; weak or interrupted flow of urine; painful or burning urination; difficulty in having an erection; painful ejaculation; blood in urine or semen; frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs; and weakness.

Effectiveness of the compositions and methods of the invention may also be demonstrated by a decrease in the symptoms of chemotherapeutic treatment including, but not limited to, alopecia, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, soreness, neutropenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, dizziness, fatigue, constipation, oral ulcers, itchy skin, peeling, nerve and muscle leprosy, auditory changes, problems with blood, weight loss, diarrhea, immunosuppression, bruising, tendency to bleed easily, heart damage, liver damage, kidney damage, vertigo and encephalopathy.

Effectiveness of the compositions and methods of the invention may also be demonstrated by a decrease in the symptoms that accompany radiation therapy including, but not limited to, moist desquamation, soreness, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, appetite loss, constipation, itchy skin, peeling, mouth and throat sores, edema, infertility, fibrosis, epilation, and mucosal dryness in comparison to others who have received similar radiotherapy treatments.

For each of the indicated conditions described herein, test subjects will exhibit a 10%, 20%, 30%, 50% or greater reduction, up to a 75-90%, or 96% or greater, reduction, in one or more symptom(s) caused by, or associated with, the disease, or related diseases or conditions in the subject, compared to placebo-treated or other suitable control subjects.

Within additional aspects of the invention, combinatorial disease treating (“Th1 cytokine increasing,” “ERK phosphorylation inducing,” “NFκB modulating”, “apoptosis inducing,” “chemotherapeutic,” “anti-tumor,” “cancer treating,” “remission inducing,” “remission maintaining,” “chemoprotective,” “anti-inflammatory,” “neutrophil stimulating,” “erythropoiesis stimulating,” “bone resorbtion inhibiting,” “bone strengthening,” “antiemetic,” “pain relieving,” “radiation protective,” “anti-swelling,” “cytoprotective,” “anti-mucositis,” “epithelial stimulating,” “anti-fibrotic,” “platelet stimulating,”) formulations and coordinate administration methods are provided which employ an effective amount of a phorbol ester compound of Formula I or a derivative compound of Formula I and one or more secondary or adjunctive agent(s) that is/are combinatorially formulated or coordinately administered with the phorbol ester compound of Formula I to yield a combined, multi-active disease treating composition or coordinate treatment method.

Exemplary combinatorial formulations and coordinate treatment methods in this context employ the phorbol ester of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, in combination with one or more secondary anti-tumor agent(s), or with one or more adjunctive therapeutic agent(s) that is/are useful for treatment or prophylaxis of the targeted (or associated) disease, condition and/or symptom(s) in the selected combinatorial formulation or coordinate treatment regimen. For most combinatorial formulations and coordinate treatment methods of the invention, a phorbol ester compound of Formula I or related or derivative compound is formulated, or coordinately administered, in combination with one or more secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agent(s), to yield a combined formulation or coordinate treatment method that is combinatorially effective or coordinately useful to treat neoplastic diseases and one or more symptom(s) of a secondary disease or condition in the subject. Exemplary combinatorial formulations and coordinate treatment methods in this context employ a phorbol ester compound of Formula I, or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, in combination with one or more secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agents selected from, e.g., chemotherapeutic agents, anti-inflammatory agents, doxorubicin, vitamin D3, cytarabine, cytosine arabinoside, daunorubicin, cyclophosphamide, gemtuzumab ozogamicin, idarubicin, mercaptopurine, mitoxantrone, thioguanine, aldesleukin, asparaginase, carboplatin, etoposide phosphate, fludarabine, methotrexate, etoposide, dexamethasone, and choline magnesium trisalicylate. In addition, adjunctive or secondary therapies may be used such as, but not limited to, radiation treatment, hormone therapy and surgery.

Exemplary combinatorial formulations and coordinate treatment methods in the prevention or treatment of side effects from chemotherapy employ the phorbol ester compound of Formula I, or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, in combination with one or more additional, chemoprotective or other indicated, secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agents that is/are useful for treatment or prophylaxis of the targeted disease, condition and/or symptom(s). For most combinatorial formulations and coordinate treatment methods of the invention, a phorbol ester compound of Formula I or related or derivative compound is formulated, or coordinately administered, in combination with one or more secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agent(s), to yield a combined formulation or coordinate treatment method that is combinatorially effective or coordinately useful to prevent or treat side effects of chemotherapy in the subject. Exemplary combinatorial formulations and coordinate treatment methods in this context employ a phorbol ester compound of Formula I in combination with one or more secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agents selected from, pegfilgrastim, epoeitn alfa, darbepoetin alfa, alendronate sodium, risedronate, ibandronate, G-CSF, 5-HT₃ receptor antagonists, NK₁ antagonists, olanzapine, corticosteroids, dopamine antagonists, serotonin antagonists, benzodiazepines, aprepitant, and cannabinoids.

Exemplary combinatorial formulations and coordinate treatment methods in the prevention or treatment of side effects from radiation therapy employ the phorbol ester compound of Formula I or a derivative compound of Formula I in combination with one or more additional, radioprotective or other indicated secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agents that is/are useful for treatment or prophylaxis of the targeted condition and/or symptom(s). For most combinatorial formulations and coordinate treatment methods of the invention, a phorbol ester compound of Formula I or related or derivative compound is formulated, or coordinately administered, in combination with one or more secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agent(s), to yield a combined formulation or coordinate treatment method that is combinatorially effective or coordinately useful to prevent or treat side effects of radiation therapy in the subject. Exemplary combinatorial formulations and coordinate treatment methods in this context employ a phorbol ester compound of Formula I, or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, in combination with one or more secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agents selected from steroids, amifostine, chlorhexidine, benzydamine, sucralfate, keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), palifermin, Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, Interleukin 11, or prostaglandins.

In certain embodiments the invention provides combinatorial disease treating (“Th1 cytokine increasing,” “ERK phosphorylation inducing,” “NFκB modulating,” “apoptosis inducing,” “chemotherapeutic,” “anti-tumor,” “cancer treating,” “remission inducing,” “remission maintaining,” “chemoprotective,” “anti-inflammatory,” “neutrophil stimulating,” “erythropoiesis stimulating,” “bone resorbtion inhibiting,” “bone strengthening,” “antiemetic,” “pain relieving,” “radiation protective,” “anti-swelling,” “cytoprotective,” “anti-mucositis,” “epithelial stimulating,” “anti-fibrotic,” “platelet stimulating,”) formulations comprising a phorbol ester and one or more adjunctive agent(s) having disease treating activity. Within such combinatorial formulations, a phorbol ester of Formula I and the adjunctive agent(s) having disease treating activity will be present in a combined formulation in disease treating (“Th1 cytokine increasing,” “ERK phosphorylation inducing,” “NFκB modulating”, “apoptosis inducing,” “chemotherapeutic,” “anti-tumor,” “cancer treating,” “remission inducing,” “remission maintaining,” “chemoprotective,” “anti-inflammatory,” “neutrophil stimulating,” “erythropoiesis stimulating,” “bone resorbtion inhibiting,” “bone strengthening,” “antiemetic,” “pain relieving,” “radiation protective,” “anti-swelling,” “cytoprotective,” “anti-mucositis,” “epithelial stimulating,” “anti-fibrotic,” “platelet stimulating,”) effective amounts, alone or in combination. In exemplary embodiments, a phorbol ester compound of Formula I and a non-phorbol ester agent(s) will each be present in a disease treating/preventing amount (i.e., in singular dosage which will alone elicit a detectable alleviation of symptoms in the subject). Alternatively, the combinatorial formulation may comprise one or both the phorbol ester compound of Formula I and the non-phorbol ester agents in sub-therapeutic singular dosage amount(s), wherein the combinatorial formulation comprising both agents features a combined dosage of both agents that is collectively effective in eliciting a neoplastic disease or symptom alleviating response or a radioprotective or chemoprotective response. Thus, one or both of the phorbol ester of Formula I, or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, and non-phorbol ester agents may be present in the formulation, or administered in a coordinate administration protocol, at a sub-therapeutic dose, but collectively in the formulation or method they elicit a detectable decrease in neoplasms, symptoms of neoplastic disease or side effects from chemotherapy or radiation treatments of neoplastic diseases in the subject. For example, in some embodiments, the combinatorial formulation may include one or more additional chemotherapeutic agents. In a further embodiment, the combinatorial formulation may include one or more additional chemoprotective agents. In other embodiments, the combinatorial formulation may include one or more radioprotective agents. In a further embodiment, the combinatorial formulation may include one or more anti-inflammatory agents or other secondary or additional therapeutic agents as described herein.

To practice coordinate administration methods of the invention, a phorbol ester compound of Formula I, or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, may be administered, simultaneously or sequentially, in a coordinate treatment protocol with one or more of the secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agents contemplated herein. Thus, in certain embodiments a compound is administered coordinately with a non-phorbol ester agent, or any other secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agent contemplated herein, using separate formulations or a combinatorial formulation as described above (i.e., comprising both a phorbol ester compound of Formula I or related or derivative compound, and a non-phorbol ester therapeutic agent). This coordinate administration may be done simultaneously or sequentially in either order, and there may be a time period while only one or both (or all) active therapeutic agents individually and/or collectively exert their biological activities.

In another embodiment, such coordinate treatment methods may, for example, follow or be derived from various chemotherapeutic protocols. Other coordinate treatment methods may, for example, include a phorbol ester and/or treatments for additional symptoms of neoplastic diseases. A distinguishing aspect of all such coordinate treatment methods is that the phorbol ester compound of Formula I, or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, exerts at least some activity, which yields a favorable clinical response in conjunction with a complementary neoplastic disease symptom decreasing, or distinct, clinical response provided by the secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agent. Often, the coordinate administration of the phorbol ester compound of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, with the secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agent will yield improved therapeutic or prophylactic results in the subject beyond a therapeutic effect elicited by the phorbol ester compound of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, or the secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agent administered alone. This qualification contemplates both direct effects as well as indirect effects.

Within exemplary embodiments, a phorbol ester compound of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I will be coordinately administered (simultaneously or sequentially, in combined or separate formulation(s)), with one or more secondary cancer treating agents, or other indicated or adjunctive therapeutic agents, e.g. doxorubicin, vitamin D3, cytarabine, cytosine arabinoside, daunorubicin, cyclophosphamide, gemtuzumab ozogamicin, idarubicin, mercaptopurine, mitoxantrone, thioguanine, aldesleukin, asparaginase, carboplatin, etoposide phosphate, fludarabine, methotrexate, etoposide, dexamethasone, and choline magnesium trisalicylate.

In another embodiment, such coordinate treatment methods may, for example, follow or be derived from various palliative protocols for chemotherapy patients. Coordinate treatment methods may, for example, include a phorbol ester and/or treatments for additional side effects of chemotherapy. A distinguishing aspect of all such coordinate treatment methods is that the phorbol ester compound of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, exerts at least some activity, which yields a favorable clinical response in conjunction with a complementary chemotherapeutic side effect alleviating, or distinct, clinical response provided by the secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agent. Often, the coordinate administration of the phorbol ester compound of Formula I, or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, with the secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agent will yield improved therapeutic or prophylactic results in the subject beyond a therapeutic effect elicited by the phorbol ester compound of Formula I, or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, or the secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agent administered alone. This qualification contemplates both direct effects as well as indirect effects.

Within exemplary embodiments, a phorbol ester compound of Formula I, or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, will be coordinately administered (simultaneously or sequentially, in combined or separate formulation(s)), with one or more secondary chemotherapeutic side affect alleviating compounds or other indicated or adjunctive therapeutic agents, e.g. pegfilgrastim, epoeitn alfa, darbepoetin alfa, alendronate sodium, risedronate, ibandronate, G-CSF, 5-HT₃ receptor antagonists, NK₁ antagonists, olanzapine, corticosteroids, dopamine antagonists, serotonin antagonists, benzodiazepines, aprepitant, and cannabinoids.

In another embodiment, such coordinate treatment methods may, for example, follow or be derived from various palliative protocols for radiation therapy patients. Coordinate treatment methods may, for example, include a phorbol ester and/or treatments for additional side effects of radiation therapy. A distinguishing aspect of all such coordinate treatment methods is that the phorbol ester compound of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, exerts at least some activity, which yields a favorable clinical response in conjunction with a complementary radiotherapy side effect alleviating, or distinct, clinical response provided by the secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agent. Often, the coordinate administration of the phorbol ester compound of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I with the secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agent will yield improved therapeutic or prophylactic results in the subject beyond a therapeutic effect elicited by the phorbol ester compound of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, or the secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agent administered alone. This qualification contemplates both direct effects as well as indirect effects.

Within exemplary embodiments, a phorbol ester compound of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I, will be coordinately administered (simultaneously or sequentially, in combined or separate formulation(s)), with one or more secondary radiotherapy side affect alleviating compounds or other indicated or adjunctive therapeutic agents, e.g. steroids, amifostine, chlorhexidine, benzydamine, sucralfate, keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), palifermin, Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, Interleukin 11, or prostaglandins.

As noted above, in all of the various embodiments of the invention contemplated herein, the disease treating methods and formulations may employ a phorbol ester compound of Formula I in any of a variety of forms, including any one or combination of the subject compound's pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvates, isomers, enantiomers, polymorphs, solvates, hydrates, and/or prodrugs. In exemplary embodiments of the invention, TPA is employed within the therapeutic formulations and methods for illustrative purposes.

The pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention may be administered by any means that achieve their intended therapeutic or prophylactic purpose. Suitable routes of administration for the compositions of the invention include, but are not limited to, conventional delivery routes, devices and methods including injectable methods such as, but not limited to, intravenous, intramuscular, intraperitoneal, intraspinal, intrathecal, intracerebroventricular, intraarterial, subcutaneous and intranasal routes.

The compositions of the present invention may further include a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier appropriate for the particular mode of administration being employed. Dosage forms of the compositions of the present invention include excipients recognized in the art of pharmaceutical compounding as being suitable for the preparation of dosage units as discussed above. Such excipients include, without intended limitation, binders, fillers, lubricants, emulsifiers, suspending agents, sweeteners, flavorings, preservatives, buffers, wetting agents, disintegrants, effervescent agents and other conventional excipients and additives.

If desired, the compositions of the invention can be administered in a controlled release form by use of a slow release carrier, such as a hydrophilic, slow release polymer. Exemplary controlled release agents in this context include, but are not limited to, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, having a viscosity in the range of about 100 cps to about 100,000 cps or other biocompatible matrices such as cholesterol.

Some phorbol ester compositions of Formula I of the invention are designed for parenteral administration, e.g. to be administered intravenously, intramuscularly, subcutaneously or intraperitoneally, including aqueous and non-aqueous sterile injectable solutions which, like many other contemplated compositions of the invention, may optionally contain anti-oxidants, buffers, bacteriostats and/or solutes which render the formulation isotonic with the blood of the mammalian subject; and aqueous and non-aqueous sterile suspensions which may include suspending agents and/or thickening agents. The formulations may be presented in unit-dose or multi-dose containers. Additional compositions and formulations of the invention may include polymers for extended release following parenteral administration. The parenteral preparations may be solutions, dispersions or emulsions suitable for such administration. The subject agents may also be formulated into polymers for extended release following parenteral administration. Pharmaceutically acceptable formulations and ingredients will typically be sterile or readily sterilizable, biologically inert, and easily administered. Such polymeric materials are well known to those of ordinary skill in the pharmaceutical compounding arts. Parenteral preparations typically contain buffering agents and preservatives, and injectable fluids that are pharmaceutically and physiologically acceptable such as water, physiological saline, balanced salt solutions, aqueous dextrose, glycerol or the like. Extemporaneous injection solutions, emulsions and suspensions may be prepared from sterile powders, granules and tablets of the kind previously described. Preferred unit dosage formulations are those containing a daily dose or unit, daily sub-dose, as described herein above, or an appropriate fraction thereof, of the active ingredient(s).

In more detailed embodiments, compositions of the invention may comprise a phorbol ester compound of Formula I or derivative compound of a phorbol ester of Formula I encapsulated for delivery in microcapsules, microparticles, or microspheres, prepared, for example, by coacervation techniques or by interfacial polymerization, for example, hydroxymethylcellulose or gelatin-microcapsules and poly(methylmethacylate) microcapsules, respectively; in colloidal drug delivery systems (for example, liposomes, albumin microspheres, microemulsions, nano-particles and nanocapsules); or within macroemulsions.

As noted above, in certain embodiments the methods and compositions of the invention may employ pharmaceutically acceptable salts, e.g., acid addition or base salts of the above-described phorbol ester compounds of Formula I and/or related or derivative compounds. Examples of pharmaceutically acceptable addition salts include inorganic and organic acid addition salts. Suitable acid addition salts are formed from acids which form non-toxic salts, for example, hydrochloride, hydrobromide, hydroiodide, sulphate, hydrogen sulphate, nitrate, phosphate, and hydrogen phosphate salts. Additional pharmaceutically acceptable salts include, but are not limited to, metal salts such as sodium salts, potassium salts, cesium salts and the like; alkaline earth metals such as calcium salts, magnesium salts and the like; organic amine salts such as triethylamine salts, pyridine salts, picoline salts, ethanolamine salts, triethanolamine salts, dicyclohexylamine salts, N,N′-dibenzylethylenediamine salts and the like; organic acid salts such as acetate, citrate, lactate, succinate, tartrate, maleate, fumarate, mandelate, acetate, dichloroacetate, trifluoroacetate, oxalate, and formate salts; sulfonates such as methanesulfonate, benzenesulfonate, and p-toluenesulfonate salts; and amino acid salts such as arginate, asparginate, glutamate, tartrate, and gluconate salts. Suitable base salts are formed from bases that form non-toxic salts, for example aluminum, calcium, lithium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc and diethanolamine salts.

Other detailed embodiments, the methods and compositions of the invention for employ prodrugs of phorbol esters of Formula I. Prodrugs are considered to be any covalently bonded carriers which release the active parent drug in vivo. Examples of prodrugs useful within the invention include esters or amides with hydroxyalkyl or aminoalkyl as a substituent, and these may be prepared by reacting such compounds as described above with anhydrides such as succinic anhydride.

The invention disclosed herein will also be understood to encompass methods and compositions comprising phorbol esters of Formula I using in vivo metabolic products of the said compounds (either generated in vivo after administration of the subject precursor compound, or directly administered in the form of the metabolic product itself). Such products may result for example from the oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis, amidation, esterification and the like of the administered compound, primarily due to enzymatic processes. Accordingly, the invention includes methods and compositions of the invention employing compounds produced by a process comprising contacting a phorbol ester compound of Formula I with a mammalian subject for a period of time sufficient to yield a metabolic product thereof. Such products typically are identified by preparing a radiolabelled compound of the invention, administering it parenterally in a detectable dose to an animal such as rat, mouse, guinea pig, monkey, or to man, allowing sufficient time for metabolism to occur and isolating its conversion products from the urine, blood or other biological samples.

The invention disclosed herein will also be understood to encompass diagnostic compositions for diagnosing the risk level, presence, severity, or treatment indicia of, or otherwise managing diseases including, but not limited to, neoplastic diseases including malignant neoplastic diseases such as leukemia, or a related disease or condition in a mammalian subject, comprising contacting a labeled (e.g., isotopically labeled, fluorescent labeled or otherwise labeled to permit detection of the labeled compound using conventional methods) phorbol ester compound of Formula I to a mammalian subject (e.g., to a cell, tissue, organ, or individual) at risk or presenting with one or more symptom(s) of cancer, and thereafter detecting the presence, location, metabolism, and/or binding state (e.g., detecting binding to an unlabeled binding partner involved in malignant cell receptor physiology/metabolism) of the labeled compound using any of a broad array of known assays and labeling/detection methods. In exemplary embodiments, a phorbol ester compound of Formula I is isotopically-labeled by having one or more atoms replaced by an atom having a different atomic mass or mass number. Examples of isotopes that can be incorporated into the disclosed compounds include isotopes of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, fluorine and chlorine, such as ²H, ³H, ¹³C, ¹⁴C, ¹⁵N, ¹⁸O, ¹⁷O, ³¹P, ³²P, ³⁵S, ¹⁸F, and ³⁶Cl, respectively. The isotopically-labeled compound is then administered to an individual or other subject and subsequently detected as described above, yielding useful diagnostic and/or therapeutic management data, according to conventional techniques.

EXAMPLES

The experiments described below demonstrate novel and powerful uses for phorbol esters and related derivative compounds in the treatment of neoplastic diseases, as well as their activity as chemoprotectants and radioprotectants. These and additional findings are further expanded and elucidated within the following examples.

Example I Effect of TPA on the Peripheral White Blood Cells (WBC) and Hemoglobin (Hb) Counts in S 180 Cell-Injected Mice

Sarcoma 180 (S 180) cells were injected into Kwen-Ming mice. On the third day, the mice were given TPA interperitoneally (i.p.). at 50, 100 or 200 μg/kg/day for 7 days. On the second day after the treatment was completed, blood samples were taken from the tails of the treated mice for WBC and Hb analyses. The WBC counts for the treated groups (50, 100, or 200 ug/kg/day for 7 days) were 16.1±7.4, 18.7±0.3.0 and 20.7±0.3.4×10⁹/L, respectively; the WBC count for the control group was 13.6±1.8×10⁹/L. The Hb of the treated groups were 136±11, 149±12 and 149±10 g/L, and the Hb of the control group was 134+−15 g/L. The results indicate that i.p. injection of TPA could increase the peripheral WBC counts in mice in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the Hb levels were not greatly affected in TPA treated mice when compared to the control mice.

Example II Dose Ranging Study

Due to the strong local irritation caused by TPA application, TPA was given to patients by intravenous (i.v.) infusion. TPA solution in a sterile syringe was injected into 200 ml of sterile saline and mixed well for i.v. infusion.

The Toxicity and Side Effects of Different TPA Doses Administered Clinically:

(1) TPA Given at 1 mg/Patient/Week:

One mg TPA in solution was mixed well with 200 ml of sterile saline for intravenous infusion which was completed in 1 h at the rate of 16 μg/min. One hour after TPA administration, patients started to have chills which lasted for about 30 min, followed by fever, (the patients' temperature reached 37.5-39.5° C. which lasted for 3-5 h, then returned to normal) with light to heavy perspiration. The above symptoms could be alleviated by giving the patients glucocorticoids. TPA at this dose caused a minority of patients to bleed, several patients suffered for a short period of time difficulty in breathing, and Hb was detected in the urine. However, these side effects were short lived and reversible. The cardiac, hepatic, renal and pulmonary functions were all found to be normal.

(2) TPA Given at 0.5 mg/Patient×2/Week: (Two Doses a Week)

0.5 mg of TPA in solution was mixed well with 200 ml of saline for intravenous infusion which was completed in 1 h at the rate of 8 μg/min. The reactions after administration were similar to that of the 1 mg TPA dosage, but to a lesser extent than the 1 mg dose. The patients tolerated the lower dose more easily. Occasionally, Hb was detected in patients' urine. Difficulty in breathing was not observed. The cardiac, hepatic, renal and pulmonary functions were all normal.

(3) TPA Given at 0.25 mg/Patient×4/Week:

0.25 mg of TPA in solution was mixed well with 200 ml of saline for intravenous infusion which was completed in 1 h at the rate of 4 μg/min. After administration, symptoms such as chills and fever were also observed, but to a much lesser extent than with the higher dosages. No Hb was detected in the urine, and no patient suffered difficulty in breathing. The cardiac, hepatic, renal and pulmonary functions were all normal.

Example III Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Malignancies with TPA

Patients with histologically documented relapsed/refractory hematologic malignancy/bone marrow disorders are treated with a combination of TPA (Xichuan Pharmaceuticals, Nan Yang, Henan, China), dexamethasone and choline magnesium trisalicylate. Comparable methods as set forth below for demonstrating the therapeutic use of TPA in the treatment of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) will be applied to demonstrate the use of TPA for treating other neoplastic conditions and malignancies. Other neoplastic conditions and malignant disorders amenable to treatment using the methods and compositions of the invention include various forms of cancer, including blood and bone malignancies and solid tumors of various types. In addition to the specific protocols herein, successful treatment and/or remission will be determined for different targeted neoplastic and malignant conditions using any of a wide variety of well known cancer detection and assessment methods—for example by determining size reduction of solid tumors, histopathological studies to evaluate tumor growth, stage, metastatic potential, presence/expression levels of histological cancer markers, etc.

AML is an aggressive disease that generally warrants urgent and intensive therapy. The average patient age at AML diagnosis is 64-68 years old, and patients over the age of 60 treated with standard chemotherapy are cured of their disease<20% of the time. Patients who develop AML after an antecedent hematologic disorder or prior leukemogenic chemotherapy/radiation therapy have similarly poor outcomes, as do patients whose disease is associated with specific adverse cytogenetic and clinical features. Hence, most patients diagnosed with AML have patient and/or disease-related features that are associated with a very poor prognosis. For patients with relapsed disease, no standard non-transplant therapy has demonstrated the capacity for cure. For these patients, AML is often a fatal disease. New approaches to the therapy of AML are needed.

Employing the methods and compositions of the instant invention, TPA, is developed as a therapeutic agent for treating patients with AML, based on TPA's novel role in modulating intracellular signaling pathways, it's capacity to induce differentiation and/or apoptosis in cell lines, and clinical data indicating the effectiveness of TPA in treating neoplastic and malignant disorders, including myeloid malignancies.

Thus far clinical evaluation of TPA has demonstrated that TPA exerts direct therapeutic cytotoxic effects in at least a subset of AML cases, as measured by cell viability and apoptosis assays. In all primary cultures analyzed by Western analysis, TPA strongly induced ERK phosphorylation by 1 hour in culture. TPA's cytotoxic effect on primary AML cells is associated with the subsequent loss of the phospho-ERK pro-survival signal after 24 hour ex vivo exposure. This observation is in good agreement with other studies that reported decreased primary AML survival after pharmacological interruption of ERK signaling by MEK inhibitors, such as PD98059, U0126 and PD 184352. In our studies, loss of ERK signaling was associated with induction of ERK phosphatases.

In addition to protein kinase C and ERK activation, TPA is a known inducer of NF-κB, a pro-survival transcription factor often constitutively active in AML blasts and leukemic stem cells. Recent work from our laboratory has demonstrated that AML cell NF-κB can be inhibited in vivo with 48 h of treatment with dexamethasone+choline magnesium trisalicylate (CMT). In addition, we have shown that dexamethasone can induce MKP-1 ERK phosphatase expression and enhance TPA cytotoxicity on primary AML samples. In this context, we have chosen in exemplary embodiments below to use dexamethasone and CMT as adjunctive medications to be used 24 h pre- and 24 h post treatment with TPA. These medications are well-tolerated and anticipated to reduce inflammatory adverse effects of treatment and enhance TPA cytotoxicity by increasing ERK phosphatase expression and inhibiting NF-κB. In addition dexamethasone and CMT will be used as adjunctive medications because they are anti-inflammatory, may ameliorate adverse effects, and may enhance anti-leukemic activity by inhibition of the anti-apoptotic effects of constitutive NF-κB expression and induction of phosphatases that decrease signaling pathway activity.

An initial TPA Phase 1 study enrolled 35 patients [23 with relapsed/refractory AML, 2 with other myeloid malignancies (CML-blast crisis, myelodysplasia with excess blasts), 3 with Hodgkin's Disease, 3 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 4 with solid tumors]. The majority of patients had relapsed/refractory AML. Our clinical results include one AML patient with stable disease for >5 months, who received 8 TPA infusions. In a second AML patient, a pronounced (5-fold) decline in the number of circulating blasts was seen following TPA administration. This decline in leukemic blasts persisted for 4 weeks, and the patient eventually died from a fungal infection. Finally, a patient with relapsed and refractory Hodgkin's disease despite high dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue had a partial remission of a chest wall mass after TPA administration. TPA dose escalation has been completed, in the last cohort 2 out of 3 patients treated at a dose of 0.188 mg/m2 d1-5, 8-12 experienced grade III non-hematologic dose limiting toxicities (DLT), establishing the maximum tolerated TPA dose as a single agent at 0.125 mg/m2/d on dl-5 and 8-12.

In the case of AML and other hematologic malignancies, patients are given an initial dose of TPA of 1 mg/week×3 weeks (days 1, 8, 15) administered with continuous/intermittent pulse oximetry for 6 hours. Twenty four hours prior to initiation of TPA therapy, patients are given 10 mg of dexamethasone every six hours and 1500 mg of choline magnesium trisalicylate (CMT) every eight hours continuing until 24 hours after administration of TPA. After administration of the initial dose of TPA, patients have a two week rest period after which they may be reevaluated. Those patients that have a disease response or stabilization from the initial dose of TPA are treated for up to six cycles of twenty-eight days according to the protocol below.

Following the two week rest period, patients are pre-medicated with Tylenol 650 mg and Benadryl 25-50 mg (depending on the patient's size and age) thirty minutes prior to administration of TPA. They are then given an intravenous infusion of TPA through a central venous catheter daily for 5 days a week for two consecutive weeks followed by a 2-week rest period. TPA is administered at a dose of 1 mg in 200 ml of normal saline over 1 hour. Twenty four hours prior to initiation of TPA therapy, patients are given 10 mg of dexamethasone every six hours and 1500 mg of choline magnesium trisalicylate continuing every eight hours until 24 hours after administration of the TPA.

Blood levels of TPA are measured prior to and after infusion using a bioassay that measures organic solvent extractable differentiation activity. 1 ml of blood is extracted twice with 5 ml of ethyl acetate, redissolving the extraction residue in 50 μL of ethanol and addition of an aliquot of HL60 cells. After 48 hours, adherent cells are measured.

Tests are also run on blood samples taken prior to and after infusion with TPA to determine levels of white blood cells, platelets, and neutrophils. The samples are additionally analyzed for the presence of myeloblasts and Auer rods. These and continuing experiments will further elucidate the therapeutic cytotoxic and other effects that TPA elicits against neoplastic cells in AML and other neoplastic and malignant conditions.

Example IV Measurement of the Modulation of ERK Activation

Phospho-ERK levels are measured in circulating malignant cells in patients with leukemia and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in lymphoma/solid tumor patients. A blood sample is taken from patients treated according to the protocol of Example III both prior to and after administration of TPA.

In leukemia patients with a WBC≥1000 per μL, flow cytometry is performed on a blood sample using cell surface antigen-specific and phospho-ERK specific antibodies directly conjugated to flurophores (BD Biosciences, San Jose, Calif.). Samples are taken pre-administration of TPA and one hour after infusion of TPA on days 1, 2, and 11 in the initial treatment according to the protocol of Example III and days 1 and 11 in subsequent cycles. In leukemia patients with an absolute leukemic blast number≥2500 per μL and other non-leukemic patients, peripheral blood samples are taken on days 1, 8 and 15 of the initial cycle according to the protocol of Example III prior to and 1 and 4 hours post infusion. Samples are also analyzed using Western blot analysis for phosphor-ERK, and total ERK1/2 levels to confirm the results obtained from the flow cytometry and correlated to clinical responses.

The foregoing analyses will further elucidate TPA's role in treatment of neoplastic and malignant conditions, including TPA's cytotoxic effect on malignant cells, exemplified by primary AML cells, and the associated reduction by TPA of the phosphor-ERK pro-survival signal.

Example V Measurement of NF-κB Modulation

In prior studies we have shown that NF-κB activity can be modulated in patients following administration of TPA with dexamethasone. Additionally, dexamethasone has been shown to induce MKP-1 ERK phosphatase expression and enhance TPA cytotoxicity. The following studies are designed to further elucidate how NF-κB activity is therapeutically modulated in patients treated with TPA plus dexamethasone.

NF-κB binding is measured in patient peripheral blood samples at baseline and pre and post infusion from patients treated with TPA according to Example III using ELISA-based assays (BD Bioscience, San Jose, USA). NF-κB levels are quantified using chemiluminescent intensity to detect binging in limiting amounts of cellular extract using a 96-well format. Additionally, electrophoretic mobility shift assays are performed to measure NF-κB binding in peripheral blood samples from leukemia patient with an absolute leukemic blast number≥2500 per μL and other non-leukemic patients with normal white blood cell counts.

The foregoing studies will further show that TPA is an inducer of NF-κB, however these experiments demonstrate that AML cell NF-κB can be inhibited with treatment with dexamethasone and choline magnesium trisalicylate.

Example VI Determination of Changes in Leukemic Gene Expression

TPA induces RNA levels of several dual specificity phosphatases capable of terminating pro-survival ERK pathway signaling. A blood sample taken pre- and post-infusion from patients with AML treated with TPA according to Example III is used to study RNA expression of AML signaling components such as the MAPK-specific DUSPs using quantitative realtime RT-PCR and oligonucleotide microarray analysis.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in detail by way of example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent to the artisan that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims which are presented by way of illustration not limitation. In this context, various publications and other references have been cited with the foregoing disclosure for economy of description. Each of these references is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. It is noted, however, that the various publications discussed herein are incorporated solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application, and the inventors reserve the right to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.

Example VII Treatment of Lymphoma

Patient M. J., age 60, male, was diagnosed with a re-occurrence of lymphoma and a mass of 3.5 cm in diameter. The patient was given 15 injections of 0.19 mg of TPA (0.125 mg/m²) every other day for 30 days and the mass disappeared. As of 2011, he has been in remission for three years.

Example VIII Treatment of Breast Cancer

Patient M. L., female, age 50, was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. She was unresponsive to either radiation or chemotherapy and the cancer had metastasized into the bone leaving her wheelchair bound. She received 35 injections of TPA with a progressing dose from 0.18 mg of TPA (1×0.125 mg/m²) to 0.26 mg of TPA (1.5×0.125 mg/m²), three to four times, a week and is now in remission and able to walk normally.

Example IX Treatment of Lung Cancer

Patient J. L., male, age 56, was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer which was refractory to chemotherapy. The cancer metastasized into his bones leaving him unable to walk. After 35 injections of TPA with a progressing dose from 0.19 mg of TPA (1×0.125 mg/m²) to 0.26 mg of TPA (1.5×0.125 mg/m²) three to four times a week, he is in remission and able to walk normally.

Example X Treatment of Liver Cancer

Patient X, male, age ? was diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer. His initial alpha fetoprotein level was 48,813. He was given chemotherapy and radiation treatments but his alpha fetoprotein level remained elevated at 50,000+. He then received three injections of 0.19 mg of TPA (0.125 mg/m²) and his alpha fetoprotein levels began dropping and returned to normal levels within four months.

Example XI TPA as an Adjuvant to Traditional Neoplasm Treatments

Patient N. K., female, 54, was diagnosed with terminal metastasized pancreatic cancer. She received five injections of 0.18 mg TPA (0.125 mg/m²⁾ per week for 12 weeks in addition to chemotherapy. Her treatment reduced the tumor in the pancreas from 6.3 cm to 2.4 cm. The patient maintained her appetite, did not lose her hair and had significantly less vomiting and nausea than in prior chemotherapy treatments without TPA.

Patient P. T., male, 42, was diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer. The cancer had metastasized and was refractory to Tarceva® (erlotinib) and Iressa™ (gefitinib). The patient was treated with a combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin according to standard protocols accompanied by an injection of 0.19 mg of TPA (0.125 mg/m²) each weekday for eight weeks. During the combined chemotherapy and TPA treatment he did not lose any hair and had significantly less nausea than experienced during prior chemotherapy treatments. He has been in remission since Jun. 30, 2010.

Patient B. L., male, age 59, was diagnosed with terminal nasopharyngeal carcinoma and treated with both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He received injections of 0.19 mg of TPA (0.125 mg/m²) of TPA a day for five days prior to beginning radiotherapy and then 0.19 mg of TPA (0.125 mg/m²) every other day for a total of 20 injections. He has been in remission for two and a half years and did not suffer any apparent skin damage from the radiation treatment.

Example XII Chemoprotective Effect of TPA

A colony formation assay including semi-solid medium formulated with DMEM and 0.5% agar is used. For these cultures, mononuclear cells are plated at a concentration of about 2.5×10⁵ cells/mL and GM-CSF and G-CSF are added at a concentration of about 100 U/mL. Cells are cultured for 14 days in a 5% CO₂ incubator, with 100% humidity at 37° C. At the end of the culture period, colonies of 50 or more cells are counted using an inverted microscope by two independent viewers. (Hamburger, 1977)

Peripheral stem cells are randomized into 4 groups at a concentration of 5×10⁵ cells/mL in DMEM supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum. Groups 1 and 4 are untreated control and groups 2 and 3 are incubated for 24 hours with 0.05 μg/mL of TPA. After 24 hours, cells are washed with DMEM 10% fetal calf serum. Groups 3 and 4 are then incubated with 25 μg/mL of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine monophosphate, the metabolite of fluorouracil, for 20 hours. Subsequently, all groups are washed twice and the cells are plated in semi-solid agar medium. The colonies are counted at 14 days.

Example XIII Use of TPA to Protect Against Radiation Damage

Three cell lines are used to determine the effectiveness of TPA against radiation damage: interleukin-3 dependent murine hematopoietic progenitor cell line, human bone marrow stromal cell line KM101, and bronchial epithelial (IB3) cells. 32D cl 3 interleukin-3 (IL-3) dependent murine hematopoietic progenitor cell line is derived from a long-term bone marrow culture of a C3H/HeJ mouse as described in Epperly, 2008. Cells are passaged in 15% WEHI-3 cell conditioned medium (as a source of IL-3), 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) (Hyclone Laboratories, Logan, Utah), and McCoy's supplemented medium. The human bone marrow stromal cell line KM101 cells are passaged weekly in 24 cm³ Falcon plastic flasks in McCoy's 5A modified medium (GIBCO BRL, Gaithersburg, Md.) supplemented with 10% FBS (Hyclone Laboratories, Logan, Utah). IB3 cells are passaged twice weekly in standard Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) (Lonza, Allendale, N.J.), supplemented with 10% FBS (Hyclone laboratories, Logan, Utah), 1% L-glutamine (GIBCO BRL, Gaithersburg, Md.) and 1% penicillin-streptomycin (GIBCO BRL, Gaithersburg, Md.) on uncoated 75 cm³ tissue culture Falcon flasks in a 5% CO₂ incubator at 37° C. for 48-72 hours to reach 80% confluency as described in Rwigema, 2011.

Cells from each cell line are suspended at 1×10⁵ cells/mL and irradiated with 0 to 8 Gy. TPA is added to the irradiated cells 10 minutes after irradiation. The cells are then plated in quadruplet and incubated in a high-humidity incubator at 37° C. with 95% air/5% CO2 for 7 days, at which time the cells are stained using crystal violet and colonies of greater than 50 cells are counted. Each experiment is carried out 3 separate times on three separate days. Data are analyzed using linear quadratic and single-hit, multi-target models (See Epperley, 2001). The dose reduction factor (DRF) for TPA is calculated as the ratio of the dose giving 50% cell survival in the treated group divided by the dose at 50% survival in the control cell group.

Example XIV Protective Effect of TPA Against Damage from Radiation in Mice

Adult female C57BL/6 NHsd mice (20 to 22 g, Harlan Sprague Dawley, Chicago, Ill.) (n=15 per group) are irradiated with 9.5 Gy TBI to achieve the (LD 50/30) dose using a Gamma beta irradiation dose rate (74 cGy/min) and receive an intraperitoneal injection 10 minutes later of 0.125 mg/m² of TPA. The mice are monitored for survival (Rigwema, 2011).

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We claim:
 1. A method for inducing remission comprising administering to a mammalian subject with cancer selected from the group consisting of lymphoma, breast cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, cervical cancer, and multiple myeloma, an effective amount of a phorbol ester of Formula I, or a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt, isomer, or enantiomer thereof,

wherein R₁ and R₂ may be hydrogen; hydroxyl;

wherein the alkyl group contains 1 to 15 carbon atoms;

wherein a lower alkenyl group contains between 1 to 7 carbon atoms;

R₃ may be hydrogen or

wherein said effective amount is between about 10 μg to about 1500 μg of said phorbol ester of Formula I is administered at least twice a week, and wherein the phorbol ester of Formula I is administered at least a total of 15 times.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein R₁ or R₂ is

the remaining R₁ or R₂ is

and R₃ is hydrogen.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the phorbol ester is phorbol 13-butyrate, phorbol 12-decanoate, phorbol 13-decanoate, phorbol 12,13-diacetate, phorbol 13,20-diacetate, phorbol 12,13-dibenzoate, phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate, phorbol 12,13-didecanoate, phorbol 12,13-dihexanoate, phorbol 12,13-dipropionate, phorbol 12-myristate, phorbol 13-myristate, phorbol 12,13,20-triacetate, 12-deoxyphorbol 13-angelate, 12-deoxyphorbol 13-angelate 20-acetate, 12-deoxyphorbol 13-isobutyrate, 12-deoxyphorbol 13-isobutyrate-20-acetate, 12-deoxyphorbol 13-phenylacetate, 12-deoxyphorbol 13-phenylacetate 20-acetate, 12-deoxyphorbol 13-tetradecanoate, phorbol 12-tigliate 13-decanoate, 12-deoxyphorbol 13-acetate, phorbol 12-acetate, or phorbol 13-acetate.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the phorbol ester is 12—O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the phorbol ester of Formula I is administered parenterally.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said phorbol ester of Formula I is administered at least 30 times.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said effective amount is between about 100 μg to about 300 μg.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising administering at least one secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agent to said subject in a coordinate administration protocol, simultaneously with, prior to, or after, administration of said phorbol ester to said subject.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agent is selected from the group consisting of: doxorubicin, vitamin D3, cytarabine, cytosine arabinoside, daunorubicin, cyclophosphamide, gemtuzumab ozogamicin, idarubicin, mercaptopurine, mitoxantrone, thioguanine, aldesleukin, asparaginase, carboplatin, etoposide phosphate, fludarabine, methotrexate, etoposide, dexamethasone, and choline magnesium trisalicylate.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein two secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agents are administered to said subject.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the two secondary or adjunctive therapeutic agents are dexamethasone and choline magnesium trisalicylate.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the cancer is lung cancer.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the cancer is lymphoma.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the cancer is breast cancer.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the cancer is liver cancer.
 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the cancer is pancreatic cancer.
 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the cancer is nasopharyngeal cancer.
 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the cancer is cervical cancer.
 19. The method of claim 1, wherein the cancer is multiple myeloma. 